Strut Your Mutt 101

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Jul 17, 2014

Take it from our top fundraiser during Strut Your Mutt 2013, Becca Speer: "People want to donate... you just have to ask them."

As you know, Strut Your Mutt 2014 is right around the corner. This event is a great opportunity for family fun and raising funds for organizations you care about.

Interested in fundraising during Strut Your Mutt but unsure where to start?

Here are a few pointers to get you on your way:

Make the big decision.

Decide whether you want to participate in the online fundraising challenge or strut your mutt in person on September 18th. The online fundraising challenge is new in 2014 and may be a good fit if you won't be able to attend the race itself, if you feel more "savvy" online... or if you're just not in Austin!

Set up your fundraising page.

The more personal your page, the better. Your friends and family like to see how much you care. Check out this helpful presentation on customizing your Strut Your Mutt fundraising page, courtesy of Best Friends Animal Society.

Start asking early.

Speer said she started asking for donations on Facebook at least one month in advance. By incorporating her own stories and adding a personal touch to her requests for donations every few days, Speer got all kinds of friends and family involved.

"Every time I posted, I got a donation," Speer says.

Have fun with it.

The more fun you have with your fundraising, the more likely you'll want to keep it going. Speer convinced others to donate by promising to post a photo of her giving a dog a kiss for each donation she received.

Brainstorm ways you can stay engaged and put your fun ideas in action. If you do, you can rest assured your audience will want to stay engaged.

Don't be afraid of different kinds of asks.

Social media is a great place to start your campaign, but you may consider reaching out to co-workers and family members via email or a personal request. You won't convince everyone you know to donate to your cause, but there's no harm in asking. Who knows? You may find out you're a natural at fundraising!

Set goals and update your donors.

When your friends, family and co-workers know what your goals are, they may be more inclined to help you reach them.

If you're $100 away from a $5,000 goal, let everyone know! It's exciting to be part of accomplishing something like reaching a goal. Once you meet those goals, don't forget to follow up with a heartfelt thank you.

Use several resources.

There are hundreds of helpful fundraising tips and tricks online, so don't be afraid to do a little research. you may also want to check out these tips from Best Friends on how to maximize your fundraising efforts.